Inevitability
by Milaya Milen Zeal
Summary: Joshua has never questioned his own memories, though his dreams make him think he might have forgotten something from a long time ago. And then suddenly a curious redhead appears within Shibuya and messes everything he once believed to be true up. Sequel to "Wishes".
1. Stage 1 - The Dream

_**Inevitability**_

**Fandom:** The World Ends With You

**Pairing(s):** Neku/Joshua, mention of ShikiEri, past OCRhyme.

**Setting: **Post-game, takes place after "Purification" and "Wishes" (Option 2 ending).

**Summary:** Joshua has never questioned his own memories, though his dreams make him think he might have forgotten something from a long time ago. And then suddenly a curious redhead appears within Shibuya and messes everything he once believed to be true up.

* * *

_**Stage 1 - The Dream**_

It was raining as Joshua made his way through the streets of Shibuya. He didn't much care for the rain, really, never really had. He knew Shibuya like the back of his hand, so it took him only a small while to reach the apartment block. After walking up the stairs and reaching the door, he rang the doorbell, and then he proceeded to wait.

Two minutes later, the door opened. "Hey, Josh. Took your time, huh?"

"…" He chose not to answer, and instead merely walked inside past the redhead when said man stepped aside. And once the door shut behind him, a towel was draped over his head. Surprised, he looked up, but the other man merely shrugged and proceeded to dry the Composer's hair. "…I'm not a child…" he pointed out quietly.

"I know."

So he said… and he still continued.

Joshua knew it was coming, he could feel it in his bones, just not when or how…

And then the towel slipped off his shoulders and he couldn't think anymore as the taller redhead locked their mouths together. Unbidden, a moan rolled out of Joshua's throat and into his partner's as that long, skilled tongue roamed through his mouth and played around with his own at the same time as strong fingers began to unbutton his shirt, letting it slide off his shoulders to land on the floor, forgotten. He whined as the man pulled him closer, rubbing at his hardening arousal with his powerful leg.

Joshua gasped softly when they finally broke apart and the man shifted his attention to his neck and shoulder, a deep purr rumbling from his throat that sent shivers down Joshua's spine and made him moan. He held on to the redhead's shoulders and let himself be pulled even closer until his feet left the ground and he was propped up on the man's leg and nothing more.

"_Hah… hah…_ Nn… Ne… ku… ssaa… sa… ma…" he moaned as the redhead suckled on one of his nipples before lightly biting down, drawing a low groan from him as he threw his head back. "Oh god… _more_… please… please give me more… _please_…"

Neku merely chuckled, licking up the beads of sweat already starting to roll along Joshua's skin, mixed with the cold rain from outside, before he locked their mouths together briefly. "If you want it so bad… tell me…" he murmured. "Who do you belong to?"

"You… only you, Neku-sama…" he whined softly, trying to pull the redhead closer, but he was failing miserably. "_Please… please…_"

Neku let out a soft, rumbling chuckle, as he easily lifted Joshua up and carried him through the apartment and then into the bedroom, where he gently lay the silverette down before joining him, purring deeply as he suckled and nibbled on every inch of skin he came across. And Joshua could only moan in appreciation when Neku slipped a hand further down.

"Who do you belong to?"

"Y…you… o-only you…" he gasped out when sharp nails scratched at his skin and undid the button and zipper of his jeans.

"Again."

"I… I be-belong t-to… y-you, Ne… ku-sa… _maaaah_…!" he wailed out as deft fingers caressed his length, dragging the nails over it _oh so slowly_.

"Louder!"

"I belong t-to… I-I–"

"_LOUDER!_"

He cried out when those fingers squeezed, _tightly_, and then Joshua fairly shouted out: "I BELONG TO YOU, NEKU-SAMA!"

Neku chuckled, but it was barely audible over Joshua's labored breathing and his strangled cries and pleas for more. In an instant–and with a loud tearing sound–the last cloth barriers were forcibly removed and the Composer released a startled cry as two long digits slipped inside of him without warning. However, when Neku ducked down and took all of Joshua's need into his mouth, the silverette could only whine, his hands blindly grasping onto his partner's shoulders, squeezing tightly enough that he was certain there'd be bruises there later.

He panted the other man's name like a mantra, feeling his end approaching but finding himself unable to reach it, even as Neku's fingers moved in and out steadily, stretching and pulling at the skin in a way that was both painful and pleasurable.

"Ne… Nek… _Aaaahh! _Neku… sa… ma…" he whimpered out as Neku sucked him off, long and hard, while tilting his fingers _just_ right to hit Joshua's prostate dead-on. And to make it worse, the redhead began to purr again, and the vibrations sent a wave of pleasure rushing along his spinal cord and made his toes curl against the mattress. "_Aaahh… _please please… m-more… _please_…"

A rumbling purr was his only response as Neku moved back and away from Joshua, just before he connected their mouths together again while moving Joshua's legs up and apart, making the silverette whine in anticipation. The redhead moved back slowly and murmured: "Tell me… who do you belong to, Yoshiya?"

"You… only you… f-forever… oh god _please_…" he wailed and begged as he felt him… _teasing_ him. "Please… _please…! _I… I…"

A soft chuckle and then there was _slight_ pressure and he whimpered. He continued to beg softly, quiet murmurs and pleas for more, and finally, his pleas were answered and Neku slammed into him at once. The rush of pain made him choke on a scream, but it twisted itself into a strangled moan halfway through as the pleasure kicked in.

He only had a second to adjust before Neku moved out and slammed back in, the force almost enough to dislodge his jaw, but he didn't much care. In fact, he whispered and begged for his partner to move harder and faster, his hands clinging tightly to Neku's shoulders as the redhead licked, nipped and suckled on his neck, throat and shoulders.

"_Ah… hah… hah… hah… _Ne… Nek-_uuuu_-s-sa… _maaaahh!_"

Neku only chuckled, his breath only barely heavier than normal even as he pounded into Joshua almost violently, before he reached out with one hand and started to pump the silverette's cock, doubling Joshua's cries in volume and intensity. The redhead merely laughed as he moved down and lightly bit on Joshua's earlobe.

"_Come for me, Yoshiya._"

And as with every other time, Joshua released a cry as his eyes snapped open – to face his own bedroom ceiling.

"…Dammit! _Again!_" the Composer howled out, covering his eyes with his hands. He tried to regulate his breathing again, even as he sat up and ran a hand through his hair.

For the past decade he had been having those same wet dreams almost every night, of a man whom he only remembered the given name of, not his face or hairstyle, except for its deep red color, and the control that he seemed to have over Joshua, forcing him to submit… and Joshua _always _did. He didn't even remember why, or how, that man held such control over him, but Joshua _knew_ there must've been something.

Something important…

Almost on instinct, Joshua's hand moved to the pendant resting upon his collarbone. It was a light, silver-colored circle with the image of a ninetailed fox on it, ready to pounce and its tails held in such a way that they resembled wings. He didn't remember where it came from, but he didn't dare remove it from his neck. Every time he tried, it was like he was going into a relapse and he would cling to the pendant and clutch it tightly to his chest.

Wherever it came from, it was definitely something he didn't want to lose, subconsciously or not.

With a small sigh, Joshua shut his eyes in a weak attempt to reconstruct his dream, reaching down with his right hand. He hissed as his own hand touched his cock, before he whimpered as he moved slowly, clutching the pendant in his other hand.

"_Hah… hah… _Ne-Neku…!" he begged softly, falling back on his bed. "_Ah… hah… hah… _please… please…" he choked out, whimpering and gasping.

He couldn't remember Neku's face… but he remembered his touch; those strong fingers with their long nails as they ran down his sides, playing with every sensitive part of his body, that warm, wet tongue as he lapped at his skin, those soft, tender lips as they kissed and suckled everywhere he could, that voice like a warm breeze speaking to him, commanding him… His memory failed him over and over whenever he tried to recall Neku… but his body had no such problems; it remembered everything even if his mind no longer did.

"Nrgh…! _Ah hah…_ _hah…_ Nek… Neku… please… please…"

"_**Come for me, Yoshiya.**__"_

And Joshua cried as the world exploded in white, even behind closed eyelids. He whimpered out the man's name under his breath, before he collapsed, still clinging to the pendant.

He didn't understand his own dreams… nor did he understand why every time… he cried himself to sleep again…

* * *

"…Rough night again, sir?"

Joshua glared up to his Conductor from under his bangs as the man sat himself down across from him in the WildKat cafe. Akataiyo Jin had become Shibuya's Conductor a few years after the last Conductor was erased, and he did his job well. His high amount of Imagination made him a force to be weary of, and it was something that had been a saving grace a few times already when a number of Players had dared to confront the Composer in an attempt to take over.

They never managed to land a single hit on Jin.

"Yes, and I can do without you stating so every day, thank you."

"…" Jin was wise enough to not say anything in response to that.

Jin was a little over 6 feet tall and well-built, though not overly bulky. He had shortcut, messy brown hair and dark green eyes, always angled in a half-frown (Joshua was certain his face had stuck like that), and he was dressed in some loose cargo pants, black shirt and leather jacket, with a pair of fingerless gloves and heavy boots, which was topped by his military cap and the leather collar secured around his neck, an inverted cross dangling from the buckle.

"…about _him_ again, sir?"

Joshua winced. Jin wasn't a man of many words, but when he spoke, it often left little room for arguments. So too when he had confronted Joshua about his lack of sleep when the dreams had first started, and Joshua had cracked and caved in, confessing to his Conductor (his face beet red throughout the entire explanation) about the person he continuously dreamt about.

Strangely enough, Jin had not reacted the way he had expected him to (though maybe he should've, since Jin was a master at doing/saying the unexpected), and had even, after a moment of silence, offered his help. Of course, that had given Joshua pause for a little bit, but now that it was all over with, he was actually glad he had accepted it…

"…Yes. However, that's not important now," he said finally, waving it off. "Have you been able to gather up any potential Players, Jin-kun?"

"…Yes, sir," Jin said, as he flipped open the manila folder he had brought with him. "I was able to gather several Souls with potential… but there were quite a lot who lacked the Imagination to believe."

"Hmhmm.. so, how many were left?"

"Roughly 36%."

"Ooh… that isn't overly much, is it?"

"I wasn't able to make more of it, I'm afraid."

"… _sigh_… Well, nothing to do about it. Decided on the Game Master, yet?"

"Not yet, sir. I'm still hesitating between two Officers."

"Hmm… Your ex-Partner being one of them, I assume?"

"…is that a problem, sir?"

"Hihi. Not at all. Alright. I'll leave the main preparations to you, then. Objections?"

"None, sir."

"Good. Well then… let's check their files, then, shall we?"

And like that, it was as though the subject of Joshua's dreams had never been brought up. He was glad that Jin didn't pry too much into them, or whether or not Joshua used his "gifts" well. As important as the subject of the mystery person in his dream seemed to be, he'd much rather not have too many people know of it.

Let alone, right then, he had more pressing things to concern himself with.

* * *

"…papa…?" he called out softly, as he slowly walked into the room where his dad was working. When the man looked up from his own work, he walked over and held up his own drawing to him. "I… I finished my picture…" he said hesitantly, as he held up the piece of paper he had been working on so diligently.

"Oh?" His dad smiled at him and set his brush away. "Let's see…" he said kindly, accepting the picture as it was held out to him.

The small boy fiddled with the sleeves of his small kimono, anxious, but also afraid to hear his father's verdict. He knew that his skills at drawing were not so good, in comparison to his dad's, and despite everyone saying that what he drew was good, he himself didn't think so. Despite his best efforts, he never got it to look… presentable.

His dad studied the picture for a long time, before he smiled finally and lightly ran a hand through his hair. "It's very good, Shin," he said honestly, and then moved forward and placed a kiss on the boy's temple.

Shin blinked once, before he managed a small smile of his own, before he climbed into his father's lap and cuddled into his chest. His dad didn't even say anything as the man merely hugged him closer, tucking the boy's head under his chin. And Shin only smiled as he listened to his father's powerful heartbeat, humming a little to himself, before he chirped: "Love you, papa!"

That earned him a soft chuckle and a hair ruffle from his father. "I love you, too, Shin."

He blinked once, and it was as though time had skipped several years as he stood in the doorway, older than a mere moment ago. He watched as his father coughed harshly, so harshly, in fact, that Shin feared he would cough up a lung, as his whole body shook. He winced at the sound, and he slowly stepped inside.

"Dad?"

Startled, his father looked up to him. He clearly had not noticed Shin approaching in any way. After a moment, he sighed softly. "Ah… sorry, Shin. I didn't see you there."

Worried, Shin bit his lip, before he asked: "Are… are you okay?"

"Don't worry," his dad said soothingly, a small smile playing on his face. "I'll be fine."

'I'll _be_ fine…' his mind repeated, catching the hidden meaning immediately. His father didn't lie, he knew, but he could twist his words in such a way that it could almost, _almost_, be considered lying.

But he didn't say anything of it, and instead moved to the table as his father finished with making breakfast. His father acted as though nothing was wrong, but Shin could tell his father was sick, and yet he wouldn't admit to it, claiming that he was fine and that they shouldn't worry.

But that only made them worry about him more than they already did…

Again, he blinked and the time shot forward and the first thing to penetrate his mind was the crash of the tray with plates clattering to the floor, with said plates shattering to millions of pieces. And yet Shin couldn't care as he rushed to his father's side, crying out in alarm as his uncles came into the room as well to investigate the noise. They were able to pick his father up from where he had collapsed and carried him to his own room.

Shin blinked once more and then he was there, sitting by his father's side and holding on tightly to his hand, as the man remained immobile upon the bed. He would occasionally whisper something under his breath in his sleep that Shin didn't fully comprehend, but there was desperation there, and it tore at Shin's heart to see his father like that.

He remained by his side, and he prayed… prayed for a miracle to come and save his father's life.

But…

Again… he blinked again and he could only stare. His uncles watched him quietly, the looks on their faces enough to tell him things were wrong… so very wrong…

And his father wasn't moving… wasn't even breathing…

"…dad?" he choked out, as he stepped into the room, before he tried to run forward, only to be stopped by his uncle. "Dad! Dad, wake up! Let me go! LET GO! DAD! _DAD!_"

But his uncle didn't listen to him and almost dragged him out of the room as his other uncle stood and wordlessly touched his father's forehead to wipe the hair from his eyes… eyes that would never open again…

"No… _no no no no NO! _Dad… dad… don't go… please… no… _dad! DAD!_"

Shin gasped sharply and shot up, his head hitting the back of his seat and making him yowl in surprise. The cushioning made it hard to hurt himself, but it was still not very enjoyable.

Once he had caught his breath, he groaned and held a hand to his temple. 'Again… again… the same vision… so it wasn't enough to change the future yet…'

Quietly, Shin turned his gaze to the window, and stared out to the blurred landscape as the bullet train whizzed past.

Shin was a boy who appeared to be around the age of 15, 16 maximum, and he had orange-reddish hair that had two locks standing up on his head like a pair of fox ears ("It's _not _gel, dammit! My hair just grows like that!") with the rest of it curled in his neck and barely passing his shoulders, whereas his bangs hung in his eyes in a spiky mess that no comb or brush could tame. He had deep blue eyes that seemed to change color when the lighting shifted subtly, and a pale skin tone.

He was dressed in black leather pants that were divided into three segments at the middle of his thighs and shins, where the pieces were kept together by small chains, black shoes that flared out at the ankle like a funnel (it was a miracle he hadn't accidentally kicked them off yet), a white shirt with CAT drawings emblazoned upon it (the large black skull on his collarbone being the most prominent part), and a black leather trench coat that had several chains dangling along the zipper (which had the same black skull hanging from it, by the way). To add to his attire, Shin had black-painted nails and black eye shadow, and he also had an inverted cross and pentagram resting in his ears.

Anyone who saw him for the first time, dressed as he was, would assume him to be a Goth It didn't matter much to Shin, really. In fact, he preferred it this way, because he wasn't much of a people person anyway. Never really had been, and probably never would be.

Also, those who knew both him and his father, would always say he looked almost like a much younger brother rather than his son. His father, however…

"_Who you look like the most? Heh… I'll admit; you got colors from me… but… your face is… just like your mother's…"_

Shin shifted his attention from the world outside to his own reflection in the window. His eyes were sharp, and made him look older than he really was, but his features were smooth and round, his noise just a little pointed, but only just, his cheekbones high. It was a face he saw so many times before in the mirror, and yet it was a face he almost considered alien.

Even if others couldn't see, his dad was right; Shin's face was nothing like his father's, which left only one possibility for it. Which was exactly why…

"_Next stop; Shibuya Station, Hachiko exit. Next stop…_"

Shin snapped his gaze up to the speaker in alarm and quickly bolted up from his seat (almost bumping his head on the luggage rack), zipped his coat up, snagged his black duffel bag, and then hurried to the doors. Some people looked at him funny, a few others looked at him in disdain and a small amount moved away, but Shin couldn't be bothered.

As the train came to a stop and the doors opened, Shin filed out along with everyone else and made his way off the platform. And less than two minutes later, Shin stepped out into Shibuya and took a deep breath, which he let out as a great sigh.

"Right… here we go… Just hold on, dad… just hold on a little bit longer and I'll be right back… and I'm bringing mom home…"

* * *

**Well, welcome to the final chapter of my "Kyuubi Neku" story. No idea how many stages this'll end up becoming, but I'll say this; I'll be majorly delayed, as I'm still helping my friend and all. I'm just putting this up ahead of time so you guys know I'm working on it.**

**I also have a different story already cooking (which also involves Kurasa, since I can't bring myself to toss the guy out XD), but that'll have to wait.**

**See you all next update.**


	2. Stage 2 - The Arrival

_**Inevitability**_

**Fandom:** The World Ends With You

**Pairing(s):** Neku/Joshua, mention of ShikiEri, past OCRhyme.

**Setting: **Post-game, takes place after "Purification" and "Wishes" (Option 2 ending).

**Summary:** Joshua has never questioned his own memories, though his dreams make him think he might have forgotten something from a long time ago. And then suddenly a curious redhead appears within Shibuya and messes everything he once believed to be true up.

* * *

**Stage 2 - The Arrival**

"Got everything?" Joshua asked as Jin tucked all the papers back in the folder.

"Yes, sir."

No doubts, no second-guessing, and no questions asked. That was how Jin functioned in a nutshell, and Joshua was glad the brunette had agreed to become his Conductor so long ago. He was no Megumi, but he took his job seriously and he made things run so much smoother.

"Alright. Let's hope this Game is an enjoyable one, hm?"

"As you wish, si-…"

"Hm?" Joshua cocked his head curiously, as Jin had stopped speaking and was now staring out the doors of WildKat, his usual frown deepened considerably. "Something wrong, Jin?"

"…" Jin didn't reply immediately, before he shook his head and looked back to Joshua. "I apologize, sir. I just thought I sensed something… out of place."

Joshua actually frowned himself at that. Jin's sensitivity to shifts in Music had long since been a curse on the brunette in the RG, but in the UG, it enabled Jin to sense all that came and left the boundaries of Shibuya. And if Jin just felt something he called 'out of place'…

"I see… Well, when you finish the preparations, go and see what it is, will you?"

"Understood, sir," Jin said with a firm nod as he stood and headed out of WildKat, tucking the folder back into his messenger bag. And as he stepped out into the light, he soon disappeared, as though he had never been there.

The Composer stared out of the window, being one of the few who could still see him walking along down the streets, before he sighed softly.

"The day has yet to start and you are already sighing. I assume we can take this as a bad sign, hm?" asked a kind voice from beside him, before a cup of coffee was set before him, in its traditional CAT style.

Josh looked up from under his bangs. "I suppose it all depends, Ikuro," he said, picking up the cup and taking a slow sip.

Ikuro had been assigned as Shibuya's temporary Producer until either the Higher-ups had chosen a permanent one, or Hanekoma Sanae's sentence was finished. The Angel had been charged with endangering Shibuya's existence, betraying its Composer, and–the heaviest crime of them all–teaching a mere Reaper how to create the black Taboo Noise. Sanae wasn't erased, for reasons Joshua didn't know, though he was certainly thankful, but the Producer was both relieved of his post and banished from Shibuya for an indefinite amount of time.

Shibuya's new (temporary) Producer was not as old-looking as Sanae (between the ages 18 and 24), but he had a kind look upon his face. His eyes were slightly larger than those of normal males, but this made his dark brown, almost black eyes, give off a calm vibe. His hair was black and was secured in a ponytail on top of his head, but he still had two long locks hanging past his face and his bangs covered his forehead. He was wearing the same kind of clothes as Sanae used to wear when he served in the WildKat, but Ikuro looked several times more serious while doing his job when compared to the Angel in question (plus he didn't charge as much for the drinks in the cafe).

Ikuro allowed a warm smile and nodded once. "I suppose it does…"

The barista had no difficulty expressing himself, but Joshua had never actually heard the man chuckle or laugh. He had to wonder if Ikuro even knew how to laugh…

"Is something wrong?" Ikuro asked suddenly, his smile melting away.

"…Ah, no. No, it's nothing…"

As kind as Ikuro was… he just wasn't Sanae. Joshua simply couldn't bring himself to confide in his new Producer as he had with Sanae. He just couldn't do it.

"…I'm going to walk around Shibuya…" he said as he finished his coffee and stood from his seat. "I'll see you later, Ikuro."

"Of course. Have a good time," the brunette said with his normal, almost natural, sense of calm. And again, Joshua couldn't help but wish for Sanae's presence…

He didn't respond, aside from a nod, and walked out, disappearing into the crowds of his beloved city.

* * *

Jin wordlessly leaned up against Hachiko, watching the crowds go by and scanning the people he saw. The Music he had picked up earlier was definitely nearby, meaning its source had probably arrived by train. Whoever it was, this person was no average Joe.

He shut his eyes briefly. His plan was to block out his sight to enhance his hearing and hopefully be able to pick up something useful… but instead he winced sharply and snapped his eyes open, looking to the side.

A trio of guys, late-teens to mid-twenties, were trying to chat up a pair of young women, coaxing them to come with them. The girls refused, but the guys kept pressing. The reason they had grabbed Jin's attention was the large amount of Noise clinging to them. Normal people both couldn't see or hear the Noise, but Jin had always been in tune with the UG, though he had never let it show when he was alive. And here in the UG, that skill had only been strengthened.

"…so noisy…" he grumbled as he pushed off. Those guys would only mess up his senses, so he'd do better to simply remove the obstacle…

However, before he could approach them, he stopped walking, a sudden shift in Music causing the Noise to shudder in something like alarm. Jin shut his eyes for a brief moment to locate the source, turned his head and opened them again.

And found the source he had been looking for.

* * *

"'Ey now, dun be like tha," one of the men chuckled out, blocking the girls from leaving with one arm to the wall. "C'mon, we're jus' gonna have a good time together. Whadya say?"

"Urgh! Get out of the way, _creep!_" the redheaded girl hissed out, glaring angrily as her bespectacled friend remained almost glued to her arm with just a hint of annoyance (though mostly concern for her friend). "You're gonna make us late!"

"Aww, c'mon, girly, we jus'—"

Before the guy could finish, though, his hand was snagged by the wrist and he was yanked away and then bodily flung through the air to collide with the pavement with a sickening crack and a pained howl. This caused the remaining guys to leap back in surprise to stare at the newcomer.

Shin straightened up and almost casually moved his messy bangs out of his eyes, his eye shadow making the half-lidded orbs of blue seem much darker than they actually were. His expression was one of boredom, but his eyes sparked with both amusement and an iciness that was almost tangible.

"Do pardon the intrusion," he chuckled out, a slow smirk appearing on his face as he twirled his finger through his bangs, "but I do believe that 'no' still means 'no'."

As the two remaining men began to gather their wits again, Shin briefly turned to the girls and said smoothly: "I apologize for the delay these men have caused you, ladies. You're free to go about your way now."

"H-huh? Um… well… thanks?" the brunette girl got out slowly, tightening her hold on the black cat-plushy she carried in her arms.

Her friend was a little more outgoing, though, and said: "Ah, thanks for the help, kid. C'mon, Shiki. Let's get a move on before we miss the last bell!"

"Ah! R-right!" the brunette–Shiki–got out, before she was pulled along by her friend. As they went, though, Shiki whispered: "But… Eri, what about…?"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine!" Eri said chipperly.

* * *

"You fuckin' punk!" one of the other men snarled out. "Ya never learn to mind your own business?!"

"And did you never learn to listen to a lady? If she says 'no', she means 'no'," Shin countered without a hitch, as his Music began to rise several fractions in response to the Noise that was preparing to lunge, keeping them back and on edge. "Or are your brains so driven by your own primal urges that you jump to attention the moment you see something with a cleavage?"

"…whuuuh? Wha you goin' on about, brat?!" growled a third man.

"What he's saying," said a cold, almost emotionless voice as Jin stepped up beside the boy, who looked up curiously, "is that you're so damn turned on by any female walking by that you have to start humping them like rabbits in heat as soon as they come close."

"…Heheh, to put it crudely, yes," Shin confirmed as the remaining two men spluttered in embarrassment.

"Y-you bastard!" shouted one of the men as he reared back to punch Jin…

And immediately received a straight punch to his nose that sent him flying backwards, a rush of Imagination erasing the mink Noise that had been clinging to his shoulder (and also broke his nose in the process, no doubt).

Shin whistled briefly as the second man hit the pavement, before he allowed a smile. "Impressive."

"…not out of the clear yet…" Jin mumbled, cracking his knuckles threateningly as he turned to the remaining punk. "So… you wanna try your luck?"

The Noise on the man's shoulder was actually shaking as badly as the man himself, and then he ran, screaming in fright. Jin sighed heavily, knowing he would have to hunt that idiot down some day and get rid of that Noise… or he could ask the next Game Master to deal with it, he supposed…

What happened next, though, shot both of those options out the window a little too literally. An arrow of solidified Imagination ripped through the air and whistled past the pedestrians who were unable to see the item that could have potentially hit any of them, before it tore through the Noise. The Noise screeched as it was Erased, and the man tripped over his own feet before he hit the ground face first and knocked himself out.

Jin cocked his head once to regard the man, before he turned to face the boy beside him. The redhead had not moved, much, but as he moved his bangs away, Jin spotted a small bracelet that had been tightly secured around his wrist, from which dangled a small bow and arrow charm.

"_…Nice shot, Tex_," he said in English, making the boy look up curiously, before he chuckled.

"Thank you. You're not too bad yourself, sir."

Quite honestly, Jin _hated_ to be called 'sir'. At least in Japanese, because it made him feel much older than he was, even if he now had forever to get older and not look a day past 20 (until someone decided to Erase him).

"It's Jin. Akataiyo Jin," he said solemnly, his arms crossed.

The boy quirked an eyebrow, but he allowed a casual smile as he said: "Pleased to meet you. My name is Sakuraba Shintora. But my friends and family call me 'Shin'."

"Pleasure…" Jin mumbled, but as he did, something in the back of his mind seemed to spring to attention. He had the strange feeling he had heard the name 'Sakuraba' before, but he couldn't remember from where. He filed this fact away for later, and finally asked: "So… why are you here?"

"Right to the point, huh?" Shin asked cheekily, before he said with a more serious air to him: "I'm looking for someone. Simple as that."

"…I see."

As they spoke, Jin kept a careful watch on the boy's Music, but with the threat of Noise from earlier removed, his Music was playing a calm and rather soothing melody, though it was majorly out of synch with the rest of Shibuya. He realized that that may have been why he had responded so strongly when Shin had arrived in Shibuya (there was no way to deny that Shin wasn't originally from Shibuya). Despite how out of synch he was with the rest of the city, however, Jin felt that he wasn't someone who would or could pose a threat to Shibuya. And even if he did, Jin would now be able to pick him out and deal with it whenever he needed to.

"…Ne, Akataiyo-san?"

"…hm?"

Shin seemed to hesitate for a moment, and it made him seem like someone else entirely, weak, young and vulnerable. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone with the name 'Sakuraba', would you?"

Jin lightly tilted his head. While he admitted that he believed to have heard the name before, he couldn't say he _knew_ anyone with that name, except for Shin himself. "…no. Can't say I have."

"…oh." The boy seemed to deflate, before he sighed softly, murmuring under his breath: "I suppose that was asking too much of luck…" before he looked up to Jin properly. "Anyway, thank you for your time, and I apologize if I interfered in something I should not have," he said, as he bowed politely. "Please excuse me."

And with those words, Shin walked away, briefly adjusting the hold on his duffel bag as he went. Jin watched him go, placing one hand in his pocket while watching the boy as he began to mingle in the crowds.

It wasn't until the boy had completely disappeared in the crowds when Jin came to the realization that the boy's Music had changed until it had almost perfectly melded with Shibuya's.

"…shit… that brat might be more dangerous than I thought…" he hissed softly, before he pulled out his phone, flipped it open and dialed a number he had memorized from the back of his head.

* * *

Somewhere on the other side of Shibuya, a phone went off, and its owner, a young woman with chocolate brown, shoulder-length hair, pale blue eyes, and a pair of black tribal wings coming from her shoulder blades, glanced over to it. She picked it up and held it to her ear when she answered it without saying a word, having a feeling as to who it was before she had heard the other side utter a word.

"_It's me,_" said the voice of her Partner by way of greeting.

"Hey, I had a feeling it was you," she greeted back with a small smirk. "How have you been?"

"_Look, can we skip the formalities for the moment? We may have a problem._"

"What's wrong?"

"_I need you to find out anything you can about the Sakuraba family. Anything at all._"

"Absolutely. What's going on?"

"_I'll explain later… once I have more time. Ja ne._"

* * *

The Conductor didn't even wait for a response before hanging up. As he did, he tapped his lip with his phone.

"…Sakuraba, huh?"

**– **

**Sometimes life just gives you a good kick to the gut to wake up… Blegh… Sorry 'bout the long wait, but yeah, life caught up to me and I had to get back to it. Can't promise how the upload schedule will be, but I also have some other stories I need to work on. So we'll see how it goes.**


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